Cherries
by legnawons
Summary: What could have happened that day if Ryan and Esposito hadn't interrupted Castle and Beckett's "cherry" moment? Rated T just to be safe.
1. Where It All Begins

**Cherries**

Summary: What could have happened that day if Ryan and Esposito hadn't interrupted Castle and Beckett's "cherry" moment?

**Chapter 1: Where It All Begins**

"You smell like cherries.." Castle said casually as he sniffed near her neck.

"What?" Kate uttered as she turned her head to face Castle, only to find out that their faces were inches apart. She was a bit too shocked to react. She eventually shook the thought off but didn't move an inch.

Meanwhile, Ryan and Esposito were about to enter when an arm blocked their way.

"Lanie? As in Lanie Parish? What brings you here?" Esposito exclaimed rather loudly that Lanie had to pinch his ear and pull him downwards. "Yee-ouch!"

"You know exactly who I am." Lanie whispered forcefully. "Get your ass down here, Ryan!"

"Yes, ma'am." Ryan said as he crouched next to Lanie.

"Now can you answer my question?" Esposito whispered.

"Look." She said as she pointed towards the slightly too-close-for-comfort position of their two friends and co-workers in the room.

"Oh. Spying on Castle and Beckett eh? Now this, I'm looking forward to." Ryan grinned as he spoke.

"How can you look forward to something you're already looking at? Dumb ass." Esposito smirked in bicker-victory which caused Ryan to roll his eyes.

"How come I've never smelled it before?" Castle asked while trying to tear his brain apart just in case the memory slipped his mind.

Kate felt heat rush into her cheeks. _'God, is my face…?' _She tried to shake it off in her head, and found a retort. "Why Castle, do you try to 'sniff' my scent like a poor little puppy?"

"Every time I get the chance." The words rolled out of his mouth before he even knew it. And almost automatically, he closed his eyes and bit his tongue, regretting what his subconscious mind has done.

Kate felt as if her head was going to explode when he answered. That was NOT at all the response she had in mind. She expected a smart-ass comment from him but instead, that. She was taken aback, and she took a step backwards – distancing herself from him. _'Why am I feeling this way all of a sudden? I mean, he's had plenty more clever retorts but why this? Argh! Why does he have this weird effect on me? He annoys me, right? Annoying pain in the neck. But could it be…? NO.'_

Castle was waiting for a pride-wounding reply from the detective but when he wasn't graced by one, he peeped through one eye and was quite surprised at what he saw.

Kate looked incredulous but her face was lowered, and…is that a scarlet color on her cheeks?

'_Whoa. Is she…blushing?' _Castle thought as he shifted in his seat to get a better view. A very wide grin spread across his features when he was sure that he saw a reddish tint on her cheeks.

'_Could it be that beneath the 12-year-old front is a man who is capable of feeling and make others feel…weird? No. This is just wishful thinking. I have to build stronger walls, especially around him and his charming-' _Her train of thought was interrupted by a very cocky Castle with a smirk on his face.

"Boy, do you look delicious when you're red as a _cherry_, detective." (Emphasis on the word 'cherry' )

At that statement, Kate was snapped back to reality. "Uhmm…uh, what was that?"

"I said, 'boy, do you look deli—," Castle was interrupted by a sudden knock at the door. It was Captain Montgomery.

"What are you two doing?" The captain said as he half-opened the door but stayed in place.

"What do you mean, sir?" Kate asked, confused.

Castle noticed the captain raise an eyebrow. "Really, what exactly is it that you are implying?" He said as he looked at the captain, then at the detective, then back.

"I'm not implying anything. I was just curious about why these three little eavesdroppers are spying on you." As the captain was finishing his sentence, Lanie saw this as an opportunity to try to escape. "Oh no, Ms. Parish, do stay and satisfy my curiosity."

"Uhmm..I, uh, think I've got a body to examine, sir. Gotta go!" Lanie exclaimed rather nervously and sprinted out of the scene when she saw Kate glaring at her. She knew it was just a warning glare but it did make her pits sweat. She and Kate have been friends for longer than she could even remember but she just never got used to those death glares, especially ones directed at her.

"Damn, she's clever." Ryan thought. Little did he know, he was thinking quite loudly.

"Yes, she is. But you and Esposito have no alibis. In the room, _now_." Kate ordered.

Both men rushed in the room with heads bowed down like two terrified little boys awaiting their mother's punishment.

"Now enlighten us." Captain Montgomery said smiling from across the room towards the boys.

"We were just—," Ryan was cut off by Esposito's sudden remark.

"We were about to enter the room to discuss a new lead when little Ms. Sunshine stopped us and told us to watch these two have a moment." Esposito's explanation was directed at the captain.

"A moment?" Confusion was etched clearly on Kate features.

"Yes. Just like when you were sniffing her neck." Esposito said, directing his statement towards Castle.

"Sniffing..her neck?" The captain was quite surprised; yet, he felt a bit light-hearted and thought, _"Finally, sparks are flying."_

Ryan decided to add a little spice. "Yeah. And mind you, from the looks of things in my previous spot, I would've thought you were kissing her; if only I couldn't hear the conversation."

"Enough." Kate exclaimed with a hint of demanding authority in her tone, using fake anger to hide the real reason for the color of her cheeks - embarrassment. "Sir, I swear it was nothing like what you or they think. We were discussing about the case when Castle here, decided to change the topic by saying I smelled like cherries."

"That was just to lighten up the mood. And well yeah, you do smell like cherries!" Castle defended himself the way a 12-year old would.

"Well that must have been at a close distance because I've talked to you within whispers before but I never smelled it." The Captain said with an eyebrow raised.

Kate felt a bit cornered; she felt heat slowly travel to her cheeks, giving them a more vivid tint of pink. Castle noticed this and decided to go 'hero'. He said, "It was an honest accident. I just picked up the scent and decided to lighten up the mood by asking about it."

Everyone stared in shock when the captain laughed all of a sudden. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He said amidst his laughter. "Nah, I was just trying to extract some juice from both of you. You have chemistry like no other couple on soaps. I was just hoping you'd act on the uh, let's say 'sexual tension' between you." He laughed once again then got himself together. "Back to work now."

The captain left the room, leaving the remaining occupants with their jaws lying still on the tiled floor.

"Who was _that _and what has he done to the captain?" Ryan asked comically skeptical.

"Whoever _he_ is, we all heard what he said; so work, work, work." Esposito said as he pulled his partner Ryan out the door. Little did Beckett and Castle know that it was a genius plan to leave both of them to feel uncomfortable…and alone.

**Frog's croaking sound**

Silence befell the partners-in-crime. No one dared to move, or talk in that matter. But, being her usual responsible and control-freak self, Beckett initiated the movement in the room. She fixed the piled paperwork on her table, drank her now cold coffee, sat on her chair, and turned to her laptop to do more paperwork. All these she did without even the slightest glance at the other occupant of the room – Castle. She could feel his gaze boring through her skin and bones, but, she paid no attention to it. She was trying to escape the reality that has dawned on them ever since the captain's straightforward remark.

"Hey..."

"Hey what?", came the obviously irritated reply of the detective.

"Are you gonna ignore me for the rest of the day?" Castle asked.

Kate sighed. "Well, that was the plan."

"You know, since they obviously planned all this – the awkward moments…I was kind of thinking of the dish best served cold." He said with a grin that caught Kate's attention.

She mirrored his expression. "Revenge, oh, sweet revenge."

"Exactly." At that, Castle laughed his evil laugh that got the detective's trademark eye-roll in response.


	2. How It All Happens

**Cherries**

Summary: What could have happened that day if Ryan and Esposito hadn't interrupted Castle and Beckett's "cherry" moment?

**Chapter 2: How It All Happens**

The next morning, the crime-fighting duo decided to carry out their plan of deception. They wanted to trick all their co-workers into thinking they were together now. And when they all fall for it, Castle and Beckett will get to have the last laugh at how easy marks their friends are.

"All right, so, my place at 8?" Castle asked loud enough for the whole room to hear.

Kate smiled at the obvious resurfacing of his 12-year-old self. "Why not just pick me up?"

This made Castle raise an eyebrow. "Oh, I didn't know you liked it the old-fashioned way, Detective."

Kate then moved closer to Castle, close enough to have them breathe each other's scents. "Oh, there are many things I like done the old-fashioned way." With this said in a seductive voice, she winked at him then backed off to distract herself with her paperwork. _"What was I thinking? Getting that close to him? Stupid." _She mentally shook herself.

"_Getting another sniff of that lovely scent…heaven. I can barely focus on her words. All I could see were those lips; those fine inviting lips…Stop!" _He mentally scolded himself for thinking that way. "Okay, honey. No need to torture me so badly." He closed his eyes. _"Oh my…calling her 'honey' just felt so right."_

"_Honey? What the?" _Kate smiled a fake smile to hide the glare that she so desperately wanted to send Castle. Castle took this opportunity to leave.

"See you later, my dear." Castle said but he just couldn't stop himself from doing what he was about to do. He stood right next to Beckett and kissed the top of her head. "Take care now." Then, he left quite quickly.

Beckett was left there with an unknown mixture of emotions – anger for having been surprised, and giddiness like a lovesick teenager. She looked at the direction where Castle's retreating body was and smiled to herself.

Ryan and Esposito were quite shocked to have witnessed such a new side of Castle and Beckett's relationship. "Are they…together?" Ryan asked.

"I don't know. Let's find out." Esposito answered as he slowly approached the smiling Beckett. "Hey Beckett, you look like a lovesick puppy. You…and Castle?"

With this, Beckett knew she and Castle had them all following their plan for revenge. She just looked at them, grinned with an eyebrow raised and left.

"Damn!" They both exclaimed in unison.

Later that night, in Beckett's apartment, she just couldn't stop thinking their plan through. _"We just started executing with the plan, but I'm not sure I want to continue going through with it. I mean, it's working, all right. But I'm afraid it might backfire like…what if my secret gets revealed without my noticing it? Just the proximity makes the butterflies in my stomach flutter. What if I fall deeper than where I already am? I don't want to get hurt; especially knowing that I partly planned what'll possibly hurt me." _She took a deep breath, then another, then another. _"No, backing out will make it even worse. Because then, I'll need to explain myself. And I can't do that. Those blue eyes just bore holes through me. I can't lie to him…" _She looked at the mirror now. She was done with her makeup. _"No, I've lied to him before and he fell for it. I can do it again Pretending to be in love with him can' be that hard, right? I mean, I don't think I need to pretend…" _She then put on her bright red button-up shirt, leaving the three top buttons open for the right mixture of modesty and a little bit more of silent seduction, which she knew will drive Castle crazy. She closed her eyes and relaxed as she breathed deeply. She heard the doorbell ring and sighed. "Here goes nothing."

When she opened the door, she was met by a bouquet of red roses that smelled so sweetly. "Castle?" She asked as she moved forward to try to locate his face. She cursed when his head popped out of nowhere, causing his forehead to bump her in the nose.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He said as he settled the roses on the doorstep. "Are you all right?" Castle asked as he held her face in place to make her look at him.

"I'm fine." Kate said with her hand still on her nose.

"Let me see." He said as he gently removed her hand. "I'm really sorry. I just…I wanted to surprise you. Does it hurt?" He asked as he started rubbing her nose and massaging. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"I said I'm fine." She chuckled a bit. "It's not bleeding, see? No broken bones. You didn't hit me that hard anyway." She said as she held onto his arms, trying to stop him but failed.

"Don't worry, you are still beautiful." He said now as he held her cheeks and kissed her nose.

"_Oh my God. Make it stop!"_ The detective in her shouted. _"No, let it flow accordingly." _The Kate inside her shouted back. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to regain her focus. "Castle, we don't have to pretend now, no one can see us." She whispered.

"Oh, just so you know, I saw Ryan and Esposito's car down the street. I think they're onto us." He whispered back.

"Oh?" She asked. _"Oh, so that was all pretend…" _She thought. She hated herself for feeling so disappointed. "So you think they're watching us right now?" She whispered again but this time, with a fake smile plastered on her face.

"Who knows? Now, just take the flowers…" He said as he got them from the floor. "Put them in a vase and let's go now."

"Okay." She said as she did what she was told. She turned then stopped herself to face Castle again. "Hey, since when did you get to order me around?" She asked in her normal voice.

"Ever since you agreed to date me." He winked at her. "Now, let's go. Alexis is at a sleepover, and my mother lives with Chet. So…we'll have the apartment all to ourselves." 

"What do you have up your sleeve, Castle?" She said with a raised brow, with her hands on her hips.

"I'm thinking…" He said quietly as he motioned for her ear. "Revenge-plotting over hot cocoa and takeout."

"Sounds like fun." She smiled and bit her lip. "So, what are we waiting for?"

Castle offered her his arm, which she took. Then they went on their merry way to Castle's loft.

"You see that, man? They're in it for real." Esposito said with obvious enthusiasm. "Still think we should watch them?"

"Yeah…at least till we see them close Castle's door. We've invaded their privacy enough."

"All right, Honey-Milk." Esposito smirked and got an eye-roll in response.

Esposito and Ryan just stayed there in Beckett's apartment's street to shake off any suspicions that might be spiking up in their co-workers' imaginative minds. They watched from the lobby as Castle opened the car door for Beckett, let her in, and then he followed. When they saw the car drive away, that's when they got into their cars and drove very slowly as they followed the car. It stopped at Italiano Joe's and they watched as Castle went out of the car, into the bistro, and then emerged with bags of takeout.

"Takeout? Way to drive a woman in on a first date." Ryan shook his head at that. "I thought Castle was a romantic."

"Who knows, this might not be their first date." Esposito said casually. When he realized that what he said was possible, he and Ryan exchange glances.

"No way?" They both shouted as they went on to their stalking spree.


	3. How It All Progresses

**Cherries**

Summary: What could have happened that day if Ryan and Esposito hadn't interrupted Castle and Beckett's "cherry" moment?

**Chapter 3: How It All Progresses**

Esposito and Ryan parked their car three cars down and on the opposite side from Castle's so as to remain in "the shadows". They were quiet the rest of the drive because both couldn't decide whether this was Castle and Beckett's first date.

"You really think this isn't their first?" Ryan decided to break the silence.

"Beats the shit out of me."

"I sympathize with you, man. I know the feeling. Hell, I'm feeling it too…" Ryan said and then sniffed.

"Aren't you being a little melodramatic there, man?" Esposito asked with a raised brow.

"Melodramatic? This is our boss here we're talking about! She always gives us a little glimpse of who she's dating, if any. And if not, she at least lets us know something's going on with her. She always does! And Castle? He's our man, you know? We're Knicks-game-buddies. Hell, we're all poker buddies! And this is what we get? Not a word from one of them? I'm telling you man, I have a right to feel this betrayed." He said, but as he spoke, the words coming from his mouth surprised both Esposito and himself.

"Uh…yeah, yeah…I feel you. Blood-sucking betrayal," Esposito replied, slightly reluctantly. He and Ryan were now positioned the same way a spoiled brat would whenever unsatisfied – arms crossed on the chest, slouched backs, and pouted lips. "What's taking them so long in that car?"

"I don't know." Ryan said as he moved forward as if trying to decipher the code that is Castle and Beckett. "What are they—" He stopped in mid-sentence and turned to Esposito. "Don't tell me they're—"

"Doing _it_ in the backseat?"

"Whoa, Castle's room is just up there! Get a room!" Ryan said as he dropped back on the passenger seat.

"Hey, we're not sure yet. Although that makes sense, I don't think Beckett's that type of girl. And oh, she isn't," Esposito said as they watched Castle get out of the car and reach in to carry a sleeping Beckett. "She must've fallen asleep." He added as he and Ryan let out breaths they didn't realize they held.

"You think he drugged her?" Ryan said and got a glare in response. "Sorry. Geez…I was just—"

Esposito cut him off. "We heard them talking in Beckett's doorway. She knew they were heading out here because Alexis and Martha are out."

"Oh, right…I know she's a big girl, and heck, she's our boss but…I can't help feeling…" He trailed off as he tried to find the right words.

"Protective? Nah, that's okay. I get like that with her too."

A minute or two later, they watched as Castle carried Beckett in his arms to the elevator with the bag of takeout draped on his right hand. "Well, they're in. Let's leave it here."

"Already?"

"Yeah. Then, we could corner Castle tomorrow and interrogate him till his pants come off." Ryan grinned.

Esposito sent him a disgusted look as he started the car to drive back to the precinct.

"Hey! I meant that figuratively, not literally!" Ryan tried explaining his words to no avail till they reached their destination.

When they arrived at Castle's floor, the elevator chimed causing Beckett's slumber to end. She tried to stretch, only to find that she was using two strong arms as a bed, and that she was leaning on to Castle's chest as a pillow.

"Good evening, Beckett. Or shall I say 'Good morning!'" He said as he smiled at her and got out of the elevator. "You fell asleep on the way here."

"Oh, sorry." She said as she rubbed her eyes. Her senses weren't functioning fully yet. But the instant that they did, her eyes widened into saucers at the realization that Castle was carrying her bridal style. "Uhmm. Castle?"

"Yes?"

"You could put me down now, you know."

"But I don't want to." He said as he shifted her so that she was draped on his shoulders.

"Castle. Put. Me. Down. NOW!" She said more forcefully, and then she tried kicking him and instead, kicked the door. "Ow."

"Hey, just till I open my door, okay? Now stay still or you'll hurt yourself."

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes but nonetheless stilled her movements.

None of them anticipated the surprise that awaits them on the other side of the door. Castle tried to use his keys but saw that they were useless because the door was unlocked. "Strange…"

"What now?" Kate said, obviously losing her patience.

"I remember locking the door when I left."

Kate smirked. "I'm sure, Castle, I'm sure." Her voice was full of sarcasm.

"Keep darting your sarcastic remarks at me and you'll never touchdown." It was Castle's turn to smirk now.

"Shut up." She said with her traditional eye-roll. When an all-familiar voice spoke up as Castle closed the door, her eyes widened and she mentally cursed nonstop.

"Dad, the sleepover was—" Alexis was taken aback by the sight in front of her – her dad with a woman draped on his right shoulder. Confusion was all over her face. "—cancelled. Dad, what…?" She was at a loss of words.

"Alexis, I can explain— Ow. OW. OW. Apples, apples, apples!" He shouted and carefully dropped the woman to her feet.

"Hands off my ass, Castle!" She hissed.

"Detective Beckett…?" Alexis said reluctantly as she approached them both. "Hi. What were you…?" She trailed off.

"Oh, that? Well, your dad here just didn't know where to keep his hands." She explained as she sent him a death glare.

"Yeah, I see that but—"

"Oh! Right, that. Well you see—" Kate's cheeks started to feel warm as she tried to find the words to explain what just happened. Unfortunately, she was cut off.

"I thought you were in a sleepover at Paige's?" Castle's tone was a pitch higher due to his surprise.

"I was supposed to be there but it was cancelled. Her brother wanted to take her ice-skating. Now, your turn to explain, dad." She said as she tried her best to hide her amused smile. She noticed Kate's colored cheeks, that's why.

"Oh, well, you know the detective and I love to fool around." He said and earned himself a slap at the arm. "Ow!" This caused Alexis to laugh.

"Well, you see…your father and I were supposed to plan our revenge on our co-workers over some hot cocoa and takeout. But I fell asleep in the car and—"

Alexis was more amused now. "You actually let him drive?"

"I picked her up." Big Castle said with an air of pride.

"It was all part of the plan to fool them." Beckett added with an eye-roll. "You know I would never let your dad drive." She smirked now.

"Never? Why, that sounds so absolute, Detective. You should never say never."

"Whatever, Castle. Anyway, I fell asleep in the car and your dad here carried me up here."

"Bridal style." Castle whispered and made the necessary gestures to get his point to Alexis. He immediately stopped when Beckett glanced at him.

"And when I woke up, he refused to let me down and shifted me to the position you saw earlier. So I started kicking and—"

"That was probably the loud thump I heard earlier." Alexis said.

"Yeah…" Kate reluctantly looked at Alexis who was wearing the cutest smile she's ever seen.

"Well, can I help?" This question shocked Kate a bit.

"Uh, help?" She said, very confused.

"Yeah, with the planning. Tell me everything!" She said as she hooked her arm on Kate's and started pulling her in the direction of the kitchen. Kate looked at Castle with confused eyes for reassurance. And when he smiled and nodded, she relaxed.

"I'll make the hot cocoa!" Castle shouted from across the living room. "I'll just change first." He added as he changed into a cotton shirt.

And so, the trio proceeded to story-telling, plotting, chatting, eating, drinking, and to top it all off, bonding. They laughed so hard till their abdomens hurt. Then, due to uncontrolled laughter, Castle accidentally spilled coffee on Kate's blouse's sleeve.

"Castle!" Kate said, feeling the warm liquid spread on the material of her shirt. "You are aware that it's hot, right?"

"Yes. And I am so sorry. Let me get that." He said as he started wiping.

"Dad, no matter how long you wipe that, it's still going to stain."

"Help me out here, will you?" He replied, clearly disoriented.

Kate watched Castle. She was…staring at his face. "You know what? It's fine. I guess it's a sign saying I should go home. It's late anyway and I'm imposing. Thanks for…this." She spoke softly, almost sweetly, as she gestured to the cocoa and takeout. When Castle looked up at her with sincerely sorry eyes, she smiled at him. "It's fine." She held his hand that was still on her shoulder; but when she noticed his gaze moved to their adjoined hands, she removed hers on instinct. "I'll just go now and—" She was cut off by the sound of the front door shutting close.

Martha arrived, surprised and at the same time happy to see Kate there with her family. "Kate, dear, it's always nice to see you." She said as she gave her a hug. "Oh, what happened here?" She asked as she examined Kate's wet sleeve.

"Oh, I believe the answer you're looking for is ME, mother. But I didn't mean to spill hot cocoa on her. It's just that we were laughing so hard and—"

"Richard, what are you doing? Get her something to change into!" She commanded her son then turned to Kate. "Oh, you poor kiddo…" She said as she gently rubbed Kate's back.

"No, Castle, Martha, it's fine. I was about to leave anyway. You don't have to get me a shirt."

"Nonsense! Richard, go now." She said. "Now, what brought you here? Or are you just visiting?" Martha grinned and wiggled her eyebrows.

Kate's cheeks colored once again. "N-no!" She answered quite defensively.

"Gram, stop it. You're making her blush." Alexis said with a smile. And at that, Kate held her cheeks to hide the even more visible color. Castle appeared then.

"Here, I grabbed the first one I saw." He then looked at the shirt he was holding. "Which happens to be the shirt I was wearing a while ago…I'll get a new one."

"No, it's fine. The liquid's getting cold." She said as she shook her shoulder. She stood up and got the shirt. "Uhmm…anywhere I could change?" She asked feeling silly.

"Here is fine." Castle grinned. "Ow, ow! Apples, apples!" He shouted when Kate pulled and twisted his ear. "You have got to stop doing that!" He said once she released him.

"Oh, the first door on the left…you can change there." Alexis said.

Kate proceeded there to change. Martha was filled in on their 'case' and she decided to stay and help with the plotting. After a minute or so, Kate came back.

"Well, would you look at that? Detective Beckett looks good in my clothes." Castle said, which earned him a smack on the arm. "Hey, you know I'm always honest." Now that earned him her all-famous eye-roll. "You like it?"

She hesitantly nodded. "It's…" She said and looked down, slightly embarrassed. "Comfy."

"You know, dear, you should stay the night. It's late and Alexis here told me that there was this 'case' you're working on."

"Oh, no. I'd hate to be imposing."

"Nonsense! You have saved my son's life and his career. You are always welcome here for any reason, even visiting." She winked at Kate, who smiled shyly and looked down.

"Mother!"

Martha just sent him a look that meant 'end of conversation'. "Now, about that revenge…" She was now assisting with the plan. She even suggested that Kate drive off to the precinct with Castle. This suggestion however was something Kate didn't agree to but was outvoted by the other three. And when all was said and done, they went to bed. (Kate stayed in the guest room, of course.) Happy, comfortable, and contented; it was as if they were one happy family.

_**Author's Notes:**__ My original plan was to make this a two-part story but as I read it over and over again, new ideas began flooding my mind. I sure hope that I don't bore you. And oh, if the updates are a little delayed, or if I make any mistakes grammatically, bear with me; I am just a student. In reference to the original Castle story, if I make any revisions, do take note that this is fiction. I don't own anything with the exception of the story. Please, do tell if the story is losing its touch, or any comments at all. I appreciate the efforts. R&R! _


	4. How It All Goes Public

**Cherries**

Summary: What could have happened that day if Ryan and Esposito hadn't interrupted Castle and Beckett's "cherry" moment?

**Chapter 4: How It All Goes Public**

The morning sun came glistening through the windows, waking Castle's favorite detective. She stretched out and felt the bed. It was too comfy for her liking. She didn't like beds that were too comfy. Why? They were hard to wake up from. See, she usually wakes up before sunrise but now, the sun is up and about. She has about an hour before she needed to be at the precinct but, she would still need to go home to change. There was a sharp but gentle knock at the door. When it opened, she saw Alexis' head pop out.

"Detective Beckett?" She said as she searched the room for Beckett, whom she found standing by the window.

"Good morning, Alexis." She smiled.

"Good morning, Detective Be—"

"You can call me Kate, you know." She said as she walked across the room towards Alexis.

"All right, well, breakfast is ready, Kate."

"Okay, come on then." Kate smiled and half-hugged Alexis.

"You know, it's weird…seeing you in my dad's shirt." Alexis said as she gently tugged on the said shirt. "But dad's right though, he suits you."

"Wait, what?"

"Oh, uhmm, I meant it…nothing. Forget I said anything." Alexis was now pulling Kate, who was still taken aback by Alexis' slip of the tongue. They descended the stairs with Kate's arm still around Alexis' shoulders.

"Do you have school today?" Kate asked as she shrugged off the previous thought.

"No, it's a Saturday. But I do have a study group to meet later in the afternoon."

"Oh, then why wake up so early? You know, you should value your sleep while you still can."

Alexis laughed. "Well, someone has to make sure that dad doesn't burn the house down."

Kate laughed at that. "Oh, right. You have to watch your dad."

"And mind you, I love it when she watches me." Castle said as he emerged from the kitchen to the dining table. He has showered now, Beckett noticed. "Breakfast is served, ladies. Oh and Beckett, I'll get your coffee."

"Thanks." Once Castle was out of sight, she turned to Alexis. "Is he always like this in the morning?" She gestured to the table full of different sorts of food – eggs, bacon, bread, fruits, milk, pancakes (you get the picture – many).

"Nope, only when we have special guests." Alexis then smiled at the detective. "And I meant, just today."

Kate looked down to hide her blush. "Gee, thanks."

"Oh, come on, Kate. I'm sure you know that one way or another, you're special to my dad. And add to that, I look up to you – which contribute to your long list of good points." Alexis winked at Kate.

This caused Kate's blush to deepen. "I'm sorry, good points?"

"Yeah, and mind you, you have _a lot_."

Silence. Kate looked down. Then, "Well…do I have bad ones?" She asked as she shyly looked up at Alexis.

"Knowing that you're a detective, I'm surprised you even had to ask." Alexis smiled oh-so sweetly.

"Here's your coffee, Detective."

"Dig in, Kate." Alexis said as she herself, dug in.

"Kate? Hey, that's unfair." Castle whined as he sat down.

Kate looked at Castle, then Alexis, and then back to Castle. "What is?" She asked as she sipped her coffee.

"How come she gets to call you 'Kate' and I don't?"

Kate almost spit her coffee out when Castle answered. "Wha—_What?_"

"You said I can't call you 'Kate'. Then why does she get to call you 'Kate'? He asked again with brows furrowed.

"I never said you couldn't call me 'Kate'." She said then lowered her gaze. "You just assumed."

"Oh?" Castle answered, a bit embarrassed. "So, does that mean I could call you 'Kate'?" He was smiling like a 12-year-old.

"I didn't say that. But you know, for a best-selling author, you suck at picking up signs." She said.

"Well, I think that depends on what_ signs_ you're trying to send me." He was wiggling his eyebrows now.

"Oh, don't flatter yourself, Castle."

"You can call me Rick, you know." He raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I guess I just don't want to." She smirked and raised an eyebrow as well.

Alexis was amused at their swordplay. It was as if she was watching a movie. She laughed and then stopped when the other two looked at her. "I'm sorry. It's just that, I felt like I was watching a movie entitled 'Bicker Blitz: A Couple Full of Chemistry and The Swordplay That Shocked America'." She stated the title with enthusiasm and emotion.

"Catchy." Castle smiled and pinched Alexis' cheek gently.

"Hmm. You know, that was the first thing I saw that links you to your dad. Before you said that, I never even believed you were _his _daughter." Kate smirked and raised an eyebrow, daring Castle to speak. Alexis laughed, knowing that the detective only wanted to tease her dad.

"Hey, she has my eyes. She got my intelligence. She even has the charming Castle smile!" He was whining again.

"Oh, _her_ smile is charming, all right. Emphasis on the 'her'." Beckett said, enjoying the sight of Castle squirming. She stood up now. "I have to leave now or I'll be late."

"Isn't being late part of the plan?" Alexis asked.

"Yeah but, I still have to go home to…" She looked down at herself. "change and get my stuff. Bye, Alexis." Kate said then turned. After three steps, she realized she forgot something. She turned, "Well, aren't you coming?"

"Do you want me to?" Castle grinned.

She narrowed her eyes at him a mock glare. "Oh, I'll take a cab then." She said then proceeded to the door.

"Dad!" Alexis scolded Castle.

"Wait up, Detective, I'll get my keys." He said as he got his keys and his coat. He kissed Alexis goodbye, and then left with Beckett.

As they got out of the elevator and through the main entrance, the doorman greeted them. "Good morning, Mr. Castle! I see you finally got the lady cop, eh? Good for you!"

"Finally got the lady cop?" She asked as she turned to Castle with narrowed eyes, and a raised eyebrow.

Castle released a nervous laugh then turned to the Mexican doorman. "Good morning to you too, wonderboy. Kate, this is Mario; Mario, Kate."

The two shook hands. "You are very lucky, señorita. Mr. Castle is a very kind and generous gentleman. I hope you make him happy."

"Thank you…but, we are not…together." She smiled weakly.

"Oh, no? But…" He gestured to the shirt she was wearing. "And you are leaving just now…?"

"I know how it looks but it's nothing like that."

"But…" He then turned to Castle.

"She's right, nothing happened. She's just borrowing the shirt because I spilled hot cocoa on her."

"Oh…then I must apologize, señorita. I didn't mean to pry; it's just that Mr. Castle here told me all about his—"

"Mario." Castle said and put his index finger to his mouth as a sign meaning silence.

"About his what?" Kate asked.

"I'm sorry. It was nothing. Anyway, I hope you at least try. Have a good day!" He nodded and left quite hurriedly.

"Try?" Kate turned to Castle. "Wha-What was he talking about?"

"Nothing." Castle said as his eyes darted everywhere except straight into her eyes.

"Castle." She said as she took a step toward him. "Tell me."

"No, I won't."

"Castle, if you don't tell me right now, I swear I will make you hurt."

"Well, no offense, detective, because you look really hot in my shirt, but you don't look so promising when it comes to your threats." He grinned and now he stepped closer to her. The distance between them were mere inches that if you looked at them from a certain angle, it would look as though they were kissing.

She just smiled at him and this caught him off guard. She closed the distance between them and put her right hand on his chest. Her hand slid down slowly until it was on his belt. She tugged slowly, still looking straight at his eyes. She heard him gulp, and this caused her to smirk. Now, her left hand held onto his right hand. Then, in just a split second, she pulled the keys out of his hand then her smirk was out of sight. "I'm driving." She whispered then pushed him. She turned to walk towards the car.

"You are such a tease!" Castle shouted once he caught his breath. He ran after her then got into the car.

"And _you_ are such an easy mark, Castle." She smirked once again, started the car, and then drove home.

During the drive, Kate felt like a broken record playing "Castle Don't Touch" over and over again. He just can't stop touching the radio.

"That's unfair, you know. This is _my_ car."

"That's irrelevant because I'm the one on the wheel."

"But that's because you stole my keys!"

"No, because you let me get into that big head of yours enough to give me access to your hand."

"Nope, you're wrong too. One, you are _always_ in my head; and two, if you want my hand, you could always just ask. And maybe, I could even offer you my—"

"Castle, you're disgusting."

"I was going to say 'paycheck to buy a new car' but since you're having dirty thoughts, why not?" He was grinning now.

Kate was in some kind of state of panic for having been caught with 'dirty thoughts'…especially by Castle! She was madly blushing and she knew he could see it. "I was just—"

"That's all right, Kate. I do enjoy the sight of those cherry cheeks; but, I won't let you hear the end of it unless you let me into your apartment." He still had his grin on but his eyes were obviously pleading with her.

"In my apartment? Why would you—why would you even ask?"

"Nothing, I just figured you'd throw on your typical 'stay in the car' line." Castle said as he sank down in his seat. "Wait…" He was up again in a split-second; he was now on his knees in the passenger seat, facing Kate like a little boy. "You didn't say 'no'. Does that mean you're gonna let me in?"

"I guess. Hey, I love watching you squirm but I'm not that cruel. Besides, the lady might take her time." She looked at Castle and smiled a mischievous smile.

"Ooh, what do you have in mind? Does it somehow send out 'dirty' signals?" He moved closer.

"I was thinking…" She started and looked forward as if to gaze at something from a distance. The car slowly moved to a stop. "We're here." She laughed. "Here are your keys Mr. Kind-And-Generous-Gentleman." She got out the car and was walking across the pavement when Castle shouted.

"You are such a tease! A tease, I tell you, a tease!" Then he jogged to catch up with her.

Little did they know, camera lenses started zooming in and focusing on the two of them from when they were still outside Castle's home till they arrived at Beckett's apartment; pen was introduced to paper, scribbling the words: "Police Department Romance in Full Bloom"; and that moments later, the magazine/newspaper stalls will be filled with tabloids containing pictures of them all over the front page.


	5. How It All Backfires Part 1

**Cherries**

Summary: What could have happened that day if Ryan and Esposito hadn't interrupted Castle and Beckett's "cherry" moment?

**Chapter 5: How It All Backfires (Part 1)**

They were at Beckett's door. Castle paced along the hallway like an impatient little kid as Beckett unlocked her door. "Come on in." She said as she switched on the lights. "I have to warn you though; it's nowhere near your 'heaven of a home'."

"You see my place as a heaven?" He asked, quite shocked.

"Well, a New York City heaven, at least." She watched him as he took off his jacket. She moved toward her kitchen counter and scanned through the mail she deserted two days ago.

"Yeah…" He trailed off. "But it's not so much a heaven without you." He added in a rushed low voice. He coughed to hide it.

"What was that?" She looked up at him from the mail she had in hand.

"Uh, nothing."

"Okay. Well, I'll take a bath now." She put the mail down and walked across the living room. And when she had her back at Castle, she started undoing the buttons of her shirt. She got through three buttons, which revealed the top of her bra, when she noticed that Castle was following her. She turned to face him, which she found out was a big mistake when she noticed his gaze shift from her eyes to her slightly exposed chest. Her instincts told her to cover up; however, she decided to play seductress and left it that way. "Castle…" She said in a low voice. When he seemed to hear nothing, she rolled her eyes and said in her normal voice, "Castle, I'm up here." She waved her hand in front of his face to catch his attention. "What are you doing?"

He shook his head and tried to focus on her face. "Uh, nothing. I'm not doing anything."

"Well, where are you going?"

"Following you."

"What gave you the right to follow me?"

"I signed all the required paperwork, remember?"

"Not that, why are you following me _right now_?"

"I don't know. Where are you going?"

"I just said I was going to take a bath."

"Aren't I welcome?" He grinned now.

"NO." She pushed him via his chest. "Go back to the living room and wait for me there."

"Okay." He replied like a little boy as he turned and slumped back to the couch in the living room.

She took a nice hot shower. She wrapped her body in a clean, white towel when she was done then exited the bathroom to get dressed in her bedroom, which was just directly across in the short span of the hallway. When she entered her room though, she was surprised by the sight that greeted her – Castle was sprawled on her bed, lying on his stomach, and looking at a picture album. "Castle? What the hell are you doing here?"

"Oh, you're done. I'm sorry, I got bo—" He said but stopped himself when he looked up at the detective whose body was covered by a mere towel. "Bored. WOW."

She rolled her eyes and tried to hide her smile and blush but failed. "What are you doing?" She folded her arms on her chest when she noticed what his eyes were staring at.

"Uhmm…" He gulped. "I was uh…" He was obviously disoriented, caught off guard _and _turned-on by her lack of clothing. He gently tugged on the collar of his shirt as if to allow the entry of air. "The uh, albums in the picture."

She raised her eyebrow.

"I mean, the pictures in the album…I was looking…I was going through your things and I saw this album." He finally said when he had collected himself and managed to get a hold of his senses.

"Riiight…Well, do you mind?" She gestured, pointing her thumb toward the door behind her.

"Yes." He replied rather quickly. And when she raised her eyebrow once again, he realized he had no right to mind her asking him to leave her room. "I don't have a right to mind, do I?"

She shook her head and moved sideways to give way to his exit. "Now, off you go."

Castle was on his way out the door but he stopped right in front of her. He turned to face her and closed the gap between them. Kate moved backward as he continued advancing toward her. Her back met the door so she decided to move sideways, only to be stopped by Castle's arms on both sides of her head. She found that she had no choice but to stay put and avoid his eyes so as not to give in to whatever Castle was planning.

"Castle, I—" She gulped, suddenly uncomfortable. "I really need to get dressed. I'm starting to feel a bit cold." She said as she hugged herself.

"Then let me make the cold go away." He moved forward again, taking the last step he could possibly take. His body was leaning on hers now and their faces were centimeters apart. "Kate…" He trailed off in a low, seductive whisper. He was searching her eyes but they avoided his.

Kate felt shivers up and down her spine – the same shivers she felt whenever he called her by her first name. This was the reason why she hated it when he called her 'Kate' - her focus just melts away. _"Breathe. Don't look at him. Don't look at him!"_ Her mind was screaming at her. But this time, another voice interfered. _"Look straight in his eyes. Search for sincerity. This might be the initiation you've been waiting for!" _She wasn't sure what part of her this voice was coming from. But she had a pretty good idea – her heart. And secretly being a romantic, she obeyed her heart's order. She looked him straight in the eyes. In the instant that her eyes met his, she was lost. She was sucked into the beauty of the shades of blue that his eyes were reflecting; but she was seeing something else. She could see it clearly. She knew that image better than she knew the back of her hand. She saw her reflection; it was as if she was looking at a mirror. She didn't quite understand what this meant but she was sure it has meaning. She closed her eyes. _"Wishful thinking. I don't want to get my hopes up because I don't want to watch them crash in front of me." _She lowered her head. Then, she felt a raging spark when skin touched skin. She opened her eyes and realized that Castle's index finger was tracing her jaw, from a spot just below her ear, to her chin, and stopped there. He hooked his finger under her chin to make her look at him. Again, she was transfixed.

"Kate." He repeated, but in a more serious tone. "I've been meaning to do this – to get close to you – for such a long time now. But you…you kept pushing me away. So I waited, waited till you finally see me in a different light. And now, I wish you would let me tear down the walls of your defenses. I wish you would let me in – or at least let me try because…I've been feeling things, you know? Things I've never felt before, things I can't even begin to explain. Ever since the day I met you, I knew you got me on a leash. You caught my eye because you were the most beautiful woman in the face of the earth, and your strength…it attracted me – it drew me to you. But now…now that I know you a little better, I think I'm sure that the beauty you hold is extremely extraordinary because it reaches out from your very core; it radiates from within, giving you the glow that you alone possess." He paused for a beat. "When our plan for revenge was carried out, I felt very lucky because I don't only get to play the part I've dreamed of playing in real life, I also got you to at least pretend that you cared for me." His hands were holding her cheeks now. "And for what I'm about to do, you can punish me later; but right now, just please, let me fulfill one of my long-coveted fantasies." He said this and then he finally closed the remaining distance between their faces. Their lips met in a soft, sweet kiss. Castle was leading their kiss; slow and gentle so as to not startle Kate. He saw her eyes close. He was waiting for her to respond to him but she didn't. He closed his eyes as he pulled away. He was disappointed but at the same time, contented because now he let all his feelings out to the woman he loved and got a definitive answer or rather, rejection, from her - No. "Enough…" He whispered, loud enough for both of them to hear in their proximity. "One kiss…is enough." He lowered his head because his pride wouldn't allow her to see the tears that were threatening to fall from his eyes. For the first time in a very long time, his hurt reached a great height – high enough to make him cry. He turned to leave when Kate held his arm to stop him.

"Richard…" She trailed off. The sensation her heart vibrated through her by the mere statement of his first name felt so surreal. She saw the surprise in Castle's eyes when he turned to face her. She noticed the moisture forming in his eyes, and her eyes softened in an instant. "You were annoying, self-centered, and completely incapable of taking anything seriously. You still are, and surprisingly for me, I somehow got used to having you around." She looked away because she knew she couldn't take the intense stare that Castle was sending her. "I mean, come on, you're Richard Castle. What's not to like? But anything deeper, let alone _love_? I said to myself, 'Shut the front door!'. And that's exactly what I did – I kept my _door_ closed for everyone; I locked it away from _you_." She paused, searching for the words that can clearly express her feelings. "Despite all my best efforts to keep you out, you still managed to maneuver your way in…I've been feeling things too, you know? But I didn't even consider them because…because I'm scared. I'm scared of you, your reputation, and the hurt that I have a high chance of going through. I don't want to be just another one of your conquests…or just an addition to the notches in your bedpost. I want something real. And I swore to myself that if you can't give me that then I'm afraid I'll have to disregard my feelings, even if I hurt myself in the process." She let go of his hand and wrapped her own around her shivering figure. "I…I thought that pretending to care – that pretending to be in love with you – would be an endeavor. But yesterday…when we were, you know…being with you…well, it felt like the most natural thing in the world. I realized that maybe you changed me. You made my life fun; you make me laugh, and you make me feel things I never even thought I could feel. And now, I guess…" She looked straight at his eyes while desperately trying to hinder the smile that her lips were beginning to form. "I'd like to take that chance with you…Does the offer still stand?"

_**Author's Notes: **__Sorry, I felt like giving you guys a massive cliffhanger. LOL. I know it's short; I intended for it to be. Well, I decided to take things a little slower. I got a review that said I rushed into some parts and that it would've been better if I hadn't. So, here you go.._


	6. How It All Backfires Part 2

**Cherries**

Summary: What could have happened that day if Ryan and Esposito hadn't interrupted Castle and Beckett's "cherry" moment?

**Chapter 6: How It All Backfires (Part 2)**

"_...Does the offer still stand?"_

Castle was still staring incredulously at her. She was using the door as support the whole time she professed all her hidden secret sentiments because the moment Castle's lips touched hers, her knees began to buckle. She was starting to feel stupid while she waited for his answer wearing only a towel and nothing underneath. His silence even intensified the cold that surrounded her body.

"Is this…for real?" Castle spoke finally.

She was sure whether to smile or not, but ended up smiling shyly. "I was asking myself the same question. But when I pinched myself, I figured this is as real as it gets." She said as she showed him a red spot on her arm where she pinched herself. "Well…?" She asked as she searched his face for any indication relative to his answer.

"The offer will stand for as long as my soul can wait." He said with a smile as his left arm snaked around Kate's waist. "Well, since we're poker buddies, I can't help myself from asking: Are you sure you're ready to cash in on us? Your call."

Kate smiled but as quickly as it appeared, it vanished, replaced by her poker face. Her brows furrowed and she bit her lip in concentration. Her face showed every bit of hesitation she could muster. She glanced at Castle who now looked nervous. She looked down as if gathering the courage to apologize, but she couldn't take it anymore. She felt guilty of being cruel for showing signs of non-existent reluctance when all she really wanted to do was lay her heart on the line and trust Castle to handle it with care. A smile slowly crept its way into her face as she looked back into Castle's eyes with a brand new spark in her own. Her arms slowly wrapped around his neck. She moved closer to whisper in his ear, "Call", then pulled back to look at his face and study his expression. She saw the sparkle in Castle's eyes and this made her smile. This time, she didn't wait, she didn't hesitate, she didn't regret. She leaned in and kissed Castle.

They shared a passionate kiss for a while and when they broke apart for air, Castle spoke up. "Does this mean I get to hold your hand in public now?"

"Hmm. I guess I can live with that." She smiled.

"Kiss you?"

"What, in public?"

"Uh huh?"

"I guess you can but…there are limitations. I'm not ready for a very public relationship, Castle. So if it's okay with you to keep a low profile…" She was obviously unsure of her answer.

"Of course." He smiled at her, as a sense of reassurance. "Anything for you."

"I'd say 'not at work' but…what's our stat with regards to the REVENGE?" She made air quotes around the word 'revenge'.

"Nah. They'll never know exactly when it started becoming real. In their minds, it's been real since the day we made it seem real." He tucked a stray hair behind her ear, away from her face. "I really enjoyed being in a pretend-relationship. But you know what? Nothing beats _real_ when it's with you."

"You really have a way with words; so good that sometimes I can't distinguish the truth from the flattery."

"Yeah well, you know what they say: Flattery will get you…everywhere." He grinned. "And I couldn't be happier because it got me right where I wanted to be." He kissed her but only briefly because she pulled away.

"Castle, you know it was never about flattery." She looked at him with serious eyes.

"Right, then it must be my charming Castle smile." Which he flashed for her.

"Castle, I'm serious."

"Okay, then what is 'it' really?" He asked but she didn't answer. "Hey, so now that I want to know, you're gonna leave me hanging?"

"No. It's just…I don't know. I guess it's because you're…you. You're being yourself, and I can be myself with you."

"We suit each other."

She nodded. "It's like you got me without even trying; and I really hate being caught off guard. But your being yourself makes it almost impossible for me to hate you."

"Almost impossible?" He asked. _"Without even trying? You have no idea how hard I've been trying to get you to notice me in a different light! But you won't know that…at least not now." _He thought to himself. Luckily, he was able to control his mouth.

"Yeah, 'cause I hate you right now."

"Why, detective, I didn't know you were fond of oxymora!"

"It wasn't an oxymoron."

"Oh, c'mon Kate, you love me." He teased.

"No."

"Yes, you do."

"No, I hate you." Being her stubborn self, she continued denying.

"You're in love with me."

"I'm not."

"Katherine Beckett, I, Richard Castle, am in love with you. And I am determined to make you fall head over heels!" He stated in an evidently fake English accent.

Kate giggled. "You don't have to…because I think I already am. I just wanted you to say it first."

"You…love me?"

"Yes."

"I don't know what you did but you got me good, just like I knew you would from the very start. And I don't know what you do but you do it well, it's like I'm under your spell."

"Wow, really?"

"Yeah…"

"You love me?" He repeated.

"Yes, I do."

"You LOVE me?" He repeated, this time a volume louder and a pitch higher.

"Uh huh."

"_You _love _me?_" He asked at least three more times, each with an increased volume and pitch; and each yielding the same answer from the detective, except that the frustration increased each time.

"You know, no matter how many times you ask me that, the answer's not gonna change; you're just gonna increase my irritation. And if you don't stop right now, my gun is just under my pillow, I won't hesitate to shoot you."

"Sorry, it just seems so surreal."

"I know." She pushed him via his chest. "But it's here so I guess, we just have to deal with it."

"Yes." He smiled his charming smile. But as soon as Kate blinked, it was gone and was replaced by his childish antics. "Oh, oh! I got a good one! Can I drive now?" He asked with the enthusiasm of a kid at Christmas.

Kate's smile fell as her eyes narrowed. "NO."

"No fair!" He faked a pout.

With an eyebrow raised, she said, "Hmm. All right, Castle. The privilege of driving or the privilege of holding my hand and kissing me…you choose."

"Uh…forget I even asked." He laughed nervously.

"Thought so." She grinned. "Now, I really have to get dressed."

"What's the matter, Kate? My heat not enough for you?"

"No, I'm about an hour late for work."

"So you admit that I'm hot?" Again, with the enthusiasm.

"No." She turned her back on him pretending to look through her clothes – despite the fact that her clothes were prepared even prior to her bath – just to hide the smile her face forms whenever she lies to tease him. "Now, out you go." She turned back to Castle to push him out the door.

"I have feet, you know."

"Yeah, I know you do. But if you don't start using them now, I'm gonna make sure you lose them, _both_ of them." She threatened and stifled a burst of laughter when Castle ran as fast as the speed of light out of her bedroom door. She closed the door behind her and leaned on it. _"He kissed me!" _Her mind screamed. _"And I kissed him!" _She ran to her bed, grabbed a pillow and screamed to let all the girly giddiness out.

Castle heard her girly squeal and smiled to himself. _"I got her…Finally!"_ The weight of the events was just beginning to sink in and before he could stop himself, he shouted, "YES!" as he jumped all around Kate's living room.

They were both unaware that the other occupant heard each of their outbursts of joy (Castle heard Kate's squeal; Kate heard Castle's shout).

The hours they remained in Kate's apartment were spent quite amicably. Except that Castle grabbed every opportunity to hold Kate's hand. And Kate, in turn, constantly pulled it away from Castle.

Kate stopped at her tracks. She turned to Castle to ask, "Why do you keep stealing my hand away from me?" She pulled her hand away.

Castle stopped in front of her and faced her. "Why do you keep stealing it back?" He pulled her hand again.

"Castle, it's _my_ hand; that's not considered theft." Kate pulled her hand once again.

"You gave me permission to; so basically, it's borrowing." Castle just hated losing so he took a hold of her hand and hooked it around his elbow.

"I said you could hold it, not own it." Kate tried to pull her hand away again but to no avail.

"Well, I guess I just don't want to lose you." He smirked, obviously displaying his delight regarding his victory.

Kate gave him her traditional eye-roll while trying to hide the smile that was forming in the corners of her lips. "Castle, I'm not going anywhere. Besides, you're my shadow, remember? Anywhere I go, you go too. I'm stuck with you, and you're stuck with me."

"That's good to know. And, uh, just so you know, there will be no complaints coming from me."

The drive to the precinct was, to Kate's surprise, smooth. Castle was behaving quite well. He was silent; he looked contented though. So was Kate. They were contented - in each other's presence, no need for words. As a select few of people believe, hearts have a way of communicating. The only contacts they made were whenever Castle tugged stray strands of Kate's hair – which happen to fall like, every other time – behind her ear.

"Castle, you don't really have to do that every time my hair falls loose from my ear."

His mind did its wonder-works as he thought of a quick alibi. "Yeah, maybe I don't. But it bothers me."

Kate didn't dignify him with an answer. She just glanced at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Nah, I'm just looking for an excuse to brush my fingers against your cheek." He grinned.

Eye-roll. "Whatever Castle." Eye-roll or not, the smile across her face was evident. And so was the slight change in the color of her cheeks.

"Going 'cherry' again, detective?"

"Going what now?"

"Your cheeks, I said. You're going 'cherry' now, as in the color." He smirked. "I can't believe I can still make you blush."

"I'm not blushing. It's…the heat."

"The heat?"

"Yes, the heat."

"Right. So…14˚C (57.2˚F) is hot for you?"

"Shut up, Castle."

They arrived at the precinct. The guard at the doors was grinning at them. "Finally together eh?"

"Excuse me?" Kate asked, confused.

He just winked at Castle. And Castle just had to ask as they moved toward the elevator. "What was that about?"

"You're asking me? He winked at you."

"Yeah, but why'd he do that?" Kate just glared at him. "Hey, I don't know what he was trying to get at. I don't even know his name. He looks new, don't you think?"

"He is. Morris got transferred to Patrol. I liked him better than this new guy."

"Me too." Castle said just as the elevator doors swung open. "Ha, empty." He turned to Kate with a grin and a glint in his eye.

"This is where I work, Castle. Don't even think about it." They entered and the doors closed behind them. They both felt awkward, didn't know what to say to either, sent glances to the other but when eye-contact was made, they'd both look away. Castle, though, slowly tried to take Kate's hand again. He started by slightly brushing the sides of his palm with Kate's pinky. And when she didn't pull away, he encircled his man hands around hers. Their fingers intertwined, together as one. They both wore a shy, silly smile. And when the doors dinged open, Kate got panicked and pulled away immediately, but not before Ryan and Esposito caught a glimpse of their joined hands.

"C'mon guys, you don't have to hide from us. We know about you. You can hold hands all you want." Esposito said. He was clearly happy for them, but at the same time, smug for winning the office pool about 'will Beckett and Castle get together'.

"Yeah. You know, holding hands is cool. But quickies? Not cool when you get caught. If you like the adrenaline rush of sneaking around though, you can—" Ryan stopped when Esposito looked at him and shook his head. "What?"

"Not cool, man." Espo shook his head and looked down in mock disappointment. "Not cool."

Kate was blushing furiously. "Wha-what?"

Ryan and Esposito rushed out of sight, afraid that Beckett would grind their asses out of fury. So, Castle took the liberty of answering. "You see, quickies are a couple's—"

"Shut up, Castle. Don't you think I know what quickies are?"

"Ooh. I'm curious, have you…done any lately? Like, around here in the precinct?"

"That's for me to know and for you to, uh…let's say, ponder upon."

"Beckett. Office. Now." Captain Montgomery called from his office's doorway. His voice was quite forceful, causing the 'partners' to look at each other with concern evident in their eyes. They both motioned for the captain's office but, "Alone," he said then went in right after.

"What could be so urgent?" Castle asked Beckett. "If it's a murder, why 'alone'?"

"I don't know, but I'm about to find out." She replied as she walked towards her boss' office. With the door closed shut, Castle didn't know what to do so he decided to make himself and Beckett some early morning coffee, just so he could make himself busy. His work was halfway done when he noticed the paper lying on the break room table. The pictures adorning the paper felt like bullets piercing his skin. "Oh no…"

_Author's Notes: Cliffhanger much? Yeah, sorry about that. LOL. I think I won't be inserting crime scenes/murder cases here. I intended it to just be a one-shot but it told its own story. Although, I stand by my original intentions of making it just light fluff, no heavy drama. But if I get the time, I'll be looking forward to working on a new story under the Crime/Drama category. This is almost done. Or is it? :D_


	7. Where It All Ends

**Cherries**

Summary: What could have happened that day if Ryan and Esposito hadn't interrupted Castle and Beckett's "cherry" moment?

**Chapter 7: Where It All Ends**

"Sir, what's this about?" Beckett asked.

"Take a seat, detective."

"Sir—"

"Kate, take a seat."

She took a seat right in front of the captain's desk and looked him straight in the eyes. Confusion was etched in her features. "Sir, what could possibly be so urgent? I mean, murder is, but why shoot Castle out?"

"Because I wanted to talk to you about this matter first." He lay the paper on the table and positioned it in such a way that would best give her access to the text. "Out for coffee this morning, I heard a guy talking to another man. I believe his exact words were: "I'd kill to have this writer dude's luck. I mean, banging up this hot detective chick from the NYPD? That'd be quite an achievement."… I know how much you despise the press for just being _the _press. But this? This is way out of line, Beckett. From one law enforcer to another, this _could_ be bad for the department and for the reputation you worked so hard to maintain. I'm your boss, we'll both get grilled. From one friend to another, I'm sorry, I really am. But whatever you have with Castle is public now, whether you like it or not."

"How—" She stopped herself. "We were followed? Sir, we didn't even have _anything _between us. How could the press have picked up on _this_?"

"You said so yourself, detective. You didn't have anything between you." He stared at the paper then his eyes shot up back to the detective. "_Didn't_?"

Beckett sighed. "Yes, sir. Yesterday was all a show. We were just trying to get revenge on you guys for setting us up."

"And it backfired?"

"Well, you could say that but…nothing about what you saw was real. Heck, this isn't even real." She pointed to the pictures in the paper.

"Are you saying that these pictures have been tampered with?"

"It's possible, sir, but honestly…"

"They weren't, were they?"

"…" She couldn't bring herself to affirm or deny what was obviously true. She took a deep breath and finally said, "No. This happened, yes, but it's not what it looks like."

"The article and the pictures clearly imply otherwise."

"I know that but nothing happened." When she only got a stare in response, she continued. "I was wearing his shirt because he spilled hot cocoa on the one I was wearing while we were talking. Sir, we were with his daughter talking about how we were going to carry out our plan for revenge. Castle might be his normal pain-in-the-ass self but his daughter is a different matter. We both respect Alexis. Nothing like what you think happened actually happened."

"What do you think it is that I think happened?"

"I…" Heat immediately traveled up her cheeks. "I don't know what it is that you think the _thing_ that happened was. All I know is that you're wrong."

"Beckett, you're wrangling. Are you being…defensive?"

"N-no, sir. I'm sorry, I might not even have made sense in my previous answer. It's just…all this, it's…" She trailed off and let out a sigh.

"Well, are you…?" The captain started but trailed off, quite uncomfortable about asking his favorite detective a personal question. "You know, you and Castle…are you two…?"

Beckett's jaw dropped. She was shocked and yet amused that her boss was trying to pry some answers regarding her relationship with Castle despite the whole situation. "With all due respect, sir, it's none of your business."

"You won't even admit to me? Me, your captain? Your mentor?" The captain's voice reached a surprisingly whiny pitch – something no one even thought existed.

"Sir, I appreciate all that you've done so far but I'm not about to go all out in admitting things, if there even is anything to admit." She stood up, massaging her nose – a mannerism that always drives Castle nuts because of its cuteness.

Their attentions shot to the door which was forcefully opened revealing a panting Castle holding something familiar – the tabloid. "Kate, I…" He took deep breaths. "Kate, I'm so sorry. I had nothing to do with this, I swear." He said as he approached her. "I'm really sorry, please don't hate me? Please don't say we're through?" He asked, slightly begged.

"No, of course not. The thought of you being involved in this didn't even cross my mind. It's okay. Now, breathe." She was torn between amusement and worry. "Where did you run from anyway?"

"Break room. I was making you coffee when I saw this on the table."

"And you ran all the way here?"

"You even dared to enter my office without knocking while I'm having an important discussion with _Beckett_ here." The captain raised a brow as he emphasized 'Beckett' because he noticed that Castle was calling her 'Kate' now.

"Oh…OH…" Realization hit Castle. "I'm sorry, I just thought that she'd be mad so I wanted to say sorry before things got worse. I wasn't even thinking…"

"So let me get this straight, you weren't in your right mind because you were so worried that Beckett would be mad at you and possibly say that you two are over?" From the open doorway came Ryan's voice. He was standing beside Esposito.

"Yeah. I don't want us to be over. Not today, not ever. Especially after what happened this morning." He smiled at Beckett and tugged a stray hair behind her ear.

"Oh? What happened this morning?" Esposito asked.

Kate pinched Castle's nose and pulled him downward. "Too much information, Castle. You share too much!" She whispered in his ear. They all heard Castle shout "Apples!"

"Yeah, Beckett, what happened this morning?" Ryan asked again. He looked like he was concealing laughter that was aching to be set free.

"We…talked. Now if you don't mind, the captain and I were in the middle of a serious conversation. Off you go now, boys."

"Even me?" Castle asked as he massaged his aching nasal bone.

"Yes, including you. You're special, but not _that_ special." She smirked at him as she pushed him, Ryan and Esposito out.

But before they were completely out of the captain's office, they were all surprised by the captain's outburst of laughter. He was immediately followed by Ryan and Esposito. Beckett and Castle were left clueless and speechless. They glanced at each other and shook their heads in confusion.

"Why are they laughing?" Kate asked over thunderous laughter.

"Beats me. Makes me want to laugh too." He grinned.

"Don't, please? We don't even know why they're laughing like hyenas. Be a doll and accompany me in the 'world of ignorance', please?" Beckett rolled her eyes at her own idea.

"Okay." He said as he held her hand.

"Sorry about that." Esposito said amidst laughter. "We were laughing because you fell for it."

"The tabloids are getting good press because of this. Everybody expected that you two were together so no surprise to the world out there." Montgomery explained.

"Yep, just laughter here, because your plan backfired." Ryan added then they burst into hyena-like laughter again.

"World of ignorance, world of insanity, or whatever world we may be in, you should know that I will still love you." He kissed her on the forehead.

The laughter subsided right after Castle spoke. "What was that?" Ryan asked.

"No way could you have missed that! He just said those three words, man!" Esposito lightly hit Ryan's head as a gesture to pull him back to his senses.

"Yeah, no way could _I_ have missed that either." Out of nowhere came a new yet utterly familiar female voice. "I can't believe something happened and you didn't tell me! You're even in a first name basis now; you're saying I-Love-You's now and not even the slightest 'heads up' for me?"

"Lanie, I'm sorry but it all happened so fast. One moment, we were planning for revenge with Alexis, and the next, we were talking about…feelings."

"Uh huh." Lanie said, still feigning disappointment and slight anger.

"I swear! That's all that happened. Right, Castle?" She looked at him, pleading for support.

"Well, you kinda left out the part where we kissed…but yeah, that's about it." He replied.

She glared at him. She intentionally left out that part so as not to add fuel to the fire around and about them. She turned to Lanie and the others. "See? Castle doesn't lie. I mean, not about these things."

"Hey!" He complained but got an eye-roll in response.

"So…you two huh?" Esposito raised the question once again.

"I'm curious, why do you want to know so badly huh?" Kate asked.

"Kate, honey, a pool about will-we or won't-we has been around the precinct since, I don't know, day one? And somebody's gonna get rich when we give an official answer."

"Oh, is that so?" Kate said and approached Lanie. She extended her hand as if to receive something from Lanie. Lanie looked elsewhere except directly at Kate. "Lanie." She forcefully said and got the response she wanted.

"Okay, okay!" She handed Kate the thick envelope full of 5's and 10's. There was even a hundred bucks from Lanie herself.

Kate smirked when the other three guys complained.

"Okay, fine. Now that you got _our_ supposed prizes, will you tell us the truth now?" Ryan asked.

Kate and Castle exchanged glances. "Nah." Kate said.

"I don't mind telling but…I prefer showing." Castle said as he pulled Kate, leaned in and passionately kissed her. Kate was shocked but relief coursed through her veins at the thought of being with Castle and not needing to hide it. They broke apart, both wearing goofy smiles. "I love you. Don't you forget that."

"I won't. And I love you too."

**The End.**


End file.
